Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning. Begin as shown.

1 Examples:No-one should enter this room under/in any circumstances.Under/In no circumstancesshould anyone enter this room.
She at no time told me who she was/She didn't tell me who she was at any time.At no timedid she tell me who she was.
I have rarely seen such a beautiful butterfly.Rarelyhave I seen such a beautiful butterfly.
I have never heard such a stupid thing.Neverhave I heard such a stupid thing.
I did not witness the robbery, either.Neither/Nor1 (less formal) did I witness the robbery.

When a sentence contains a negative word or expression2, it is sometimes placed at the beginning in formal English to give a more dramatic effect. However, the order of the sentence is as though it were an interrogative sentence3.

a We have seldom fished so much here. (Seldom...)b They are in no way responsible for what occurred last night. (In no way...)c You should not on any account take these pills when you drink alcohol. (On no account...)d She not once offered us her help. (Not once...)e I did not became aware of what was going on until I saw her weeping. (Not until...)

2 Examples:It was only when my children arrived home safely that I felt relieved.Only when my children arrived home safelydid I feel relieved.
We did not know anything about what was going to happen to us next.Littledid we know about what was going to happen to us next.
I well remember when I saw her for the first time.Well do I remember when I saw her for the first time.I was so happy that I arranged a big party/My happines was such that I arranged a big party.So happywas I that I arranged a big party/Such4was my happines that I arranged a big party.
I waited for you to come back many times/many a time.Manyis the time (that5) I waited for you to come back/Many a timedid I wait for you to come back.

Notice that if we put some words or phrases at the beginning of the sentence, inversion is required.

a She agreed to go out with him only when he bought her some flowers. (Only when...)b We little realised the dangers that were awaiting us. (Little...)c He was so tired that he slept for fourteen hours. (So tired...)d My delight was such that I bought everybody a drink. (Such...)e I love him to such an extent that I would even give my life for him. (To such an extent...)

3 Examples:We had hardly/scarcely/barely6 started to watch the film when the light went off.Hardly/Scarcely/Barelyhad we started to watch the film when the light went off.
I felt much better after I took a sachet of this medicine/I had no sooner taken a sachet of this medicine than I felt much better.No soonerhad I taken a sachet of this medicine than I felt much better.
They had no sooner started the engine than the car exploded/Immediately they started the engine, the car exploded.No soonerhad they started the engine than the car exploded.
I was no sooner informed of the facts than I took legal action/As soon as I was informed of the facts, I took legal action.No soonerwas I informed of the facts than I took legal action.As soon as he sees a pretty girl, he asks her to go out with him/He no sooner sees a pretty girl than he asks her to go out with him.No soonerdoes he see a pretty girl than he asks her to go out with him.
They not only took care of me, but (they) also7 treated me as if I were their own daughter.Not onlydid they take care of me, but (they) also treated me as if I were their own daughter.

a They not only supply us with food, but also with drinks. (Not only...)b We had no sooner eaten it than we had a terrible stomach-ache. (No sooner...)c I had hardly gone to bed when the telephone rang. (Hardly...)d She took him to the zoo and to the cinema as well. (Not only...)e The cock crows as soon as the day breaks. (No sooner...)

4 Examples:If you should need a sun protection cream, please tell me.Should you need a sun protection cream, please tell me.If I were you, I would try to fascinate her.Were I you, I would try to fascinate her.If they had confessed everything, they would have been expelled from school.Had they confessed everything, they would have been expelled from school.

a If you should need a good make-up remover, please let me know. (Should...)b If I were to win the first prize in the national lottery, I would no longer work. (Were...)c If you hadn't flooded the engine, it would have started atonce. (Had you...)d If my parents should need me, I will never let them down. (Should...)e If I were in your place, I would try to be more assertive. (Were...)

5 Examples8:Peter goes up again.Up goes Peter again. (But Up he goes again.)The beautiful scenery I had been told about lay/was below me.Below melay/was the beautiful scenery I had been told about.

In the first case, we have a verb of movement. In the second, an intransitive verb or the verb be is required. The inverted sentences give an emphatic effect, but they mean the same as the non-inverted ones. Note that we do not use do, does or did with this type of inversion.

a My brother went off without saying a word. (Off...)b He went off without saying a word. (Off...)c Her toys were along the corridor. (Along the corridor...)d The castle stands on a hill. (On a hill...)e Your chance to speak out is now. (Now...)

6 Revision exercise.a You shouldn't in any way consider him as your worst enemy. (In no way...)b You must on no account upset your parents. (On no account...)c Mr and Mrs Adam live across the bridge. (Across the bridge...)d I was so scared that I could not even scream. (So scared...)e The horrific view of the massacre was in front of us. (In front of us...)f The canyon lies behind those mountains. (Behind those mountains...)g He only then became aware of the dangers of the jungle. (Only then...)h She had scarcely begun to study when her boyfriend rang the bell. (Scarcely...)i I won't go trekking with him. (No way...)j My terror was such that I couldn't move. (Such...)k I had no sooner switched on the dishwasher than it broke down. (No sooner...)l As soon as he saw her, he fell in love with her. (No sooner...)m If we had known that you were interested in buying the block of flats, we would have sold it to you. (Had...)n Your mother went down the road. (Down the road...)o She went down the road. (Down the road...)p This disease is common only in hot countries. (Only in hot countries...)q You will never again9 have such an opportunity. (Never again...)r We not only wrote to her many times, but telephone her twice, too. (Not only...)s Immediately he learnt about his mother's incurable disease, he cried his eyes out. (No sooner...)t We have both put aside some money and stocked up with a lot of groceries from the shop next door. (Not only...)u I did not use suntan lotion, either. (Neither...)v The wood pigeon flew up. (Up...)w If you should increase our wages, we will work overtime. (Should...)x She had hardly taken everything out of the picnic basket when it began to rain. (Hardly...)y If you were to buy a new car, which of these would you choose? (Were...)z My humiliation was such that I did not know what to do. (Such...)

____________________ 1 Note the following, as well:
"I don't like meat."
"Neither/Nordo I" (Compare: I don't either.)
The opposite is So do I. See unit 5.2 Observe that words or expressions like never, rarely and seldom are considered negative in English.3See unit 1.4See also unit 17, section 5, footnote 2.5When is also possible, but less usual.6Hardly (the most usual), scarcely and barely go with the past perfect tense. No sooner may also be used with other tenses, but never for actions that will take place in the future. You cannot therefore say: No sooner do I see her, I will invite her to my birthday party.7 Instead of also, we can use too or as well:They not only took care of me, but (they) treated me as if I were their own daughter(,) too/as well.
Not only did they take care of me, but (they) treated me as if I were their own daughter(,) too/as well.8 Compare the following:
"Where are my socks?"
"I don't know, but I'll help you to look for them."
(After a while)
"Hereare your socks!" (But Herethey are!)

Mother (on the phone): Have you seen my son anywhere?
Uncle: He's here with us.